Driving past endless cornfields, you might notice that much of the corn doesn’t look like the sweet kind found at the store. That’s because most corn isn’t grown for eating straight off the cob.
Field Corn: The Industrial Crop
Field corn—also called dent corn or feed corn—makes up the majority of corn grown today. It’s harvested late, when the kernels are hard and full of starch. This type of corn is mainly used to feed livestock and to produce items like corn syrup, ethanol, cereal products, cornmeal, and cornstarch. While we consume many products made from it, field corn is not meant to be eaten fresh.
Sweet Corn: The Corn We Eat
Sweet corn is picked early while the kernels are soft and sugary. It’s the kind you grill, boil, or eat at summer barbecues. Though it’s technically a grain, we enjoy it like a vegetable because of its tender texture and sweet flavor.
Key Differences
Field corn has dull, starchy kernels and is bred for durability and large harvests, often using genetically modified varieties. Sweet corn has bright, plump kernels, is grown for taste, and is usually non-GMO.
The Bottom Line
Field corn fuels industry and livestock, while sweet corn is all about fresh flavor. They may look similar in the field, but their purposes could not be more different.